updated 04:41 am EDT, Mon September 9, 2013

Sony takes on Apple with new PS Vita TV, launches updated PS Vita

Sony has launched a surprise new product called the PS Vita TV that delivers on the as yet untapped potential of the Apple TV. The new pint-sized set top box not only streams video and music content, it can also play PS Vita and PSP titles on the big screen with controls supplied by a DualShock 3 controller. Unsurprisingly, Sony has also leveraged its upcoming PlayStation 4 console with the new device, allowing users to use it as an extender for playing PS4 titles in a different room.

The new PS Vita TV will retail for the equivalent of $95, while a separate bundle with DualShock 3 controller and 8GB memory card will retail for the equivalent of around $140. Sony has not yet announced plans for an international rollout, however, it will initially be targeting Japan. The PS4 is launching in Japan on February 22, well after it begins its global rollout and it is thought that this type of device might suit the Japanese market in the interim, as it has a bias towards handheld consoles.

At the same Japanese event, Sony also unveiled its newly revised PS Vita handheld gaming console. Following a pattern established over the years, the Japanese company has released an updated version of a device that is both thinner and lighter. However, Sony has dropped the OLED panel that shipped with the original version of the console, swapping it out for a 5-inch LCD panel. In return, the device will offer users an additional hour of batter life taking it up to 6 hours, despite slimming down. It will also come in range of new colors with availability expected on October 10.